1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for continuously processing a photo-sensitive material (which will be referred to simply as "photographic film" hereinafter) in a sheet form such as a sheet of photographic film and a paper by means of liquid processing agents in development. fixation or washing steps and to a device therefor, and more particularly to a photographic film processing method with liquid processing agents such as developer, fixer, or washing water which have been atomized and to a device therefor. This invention further relates to a photographic film processing device which is capable of developing, fixing or washing only the photographically sensitized side of a film sheet with an atomized developer, a fixer, or washing water and of adjusting the scope of the photographic processing in accordance with the size (width) of the film sheet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a cross section to schematically show the structure of a developing device in a photographic film processing system which uses an ordinary roller-conveying processing method wherein a sheet of photographed film 1 is conveyed to the developing device via an inlet 30A by groups of rollers 31A and 31B which are axially and operatively mounted between opposing side plates, where it is developed in liquid developer (D), and developer (D) which is attached to the photographic film 1 with squeeze rollers 31B at the final stage, and then conveyed out via an outlet 30B toward the next step (fixing process).
This roller conveying processing method has been widely used in automatic developing systems, since the method is stable in developing performance and relatively high in processing speed. However, since a large number of rollers are used in the developing device, the liquid developer tends to adhere on the rollers and, once it is coagulated by drying the adhered liquid, causes uneven development or damage to the photographic film 1 thereby deteriorating the quality of the finished product physically as well as aesthetically. Moreover, the rollers should be dismantled for cleaning and other maintenance purposes frequently to thereby impose considerable burdens on workers. Generally, photographic films should be processed only on one surface side of the film sheet (photo-sensitized surface side) except for the film sheets such as X-ray films which need processing on both surfaces. In this method, however, the liquid developer attaches and adheres on both surfaces of a film sheet, inconveniently consuming an additional amount of the developer and requiring additional time for washing the attached developer off as well as drying. The device for the processing method tends to become bulky and complicated. Both the fixing device and the washing device are also generally structured similarly to the above developing device using a roller conveying processing method, and similar defects can be found in the systems for fixing and washing as well as in the photographic film processing systems which continuously use by means of a cascade connection of a developing device, a fixing device and a water washing device.
FIG. 3A shows a camera card 100 which is usually used for microfilms of drawings and so on wherein a sheet of film 101 is fixed on an aperture card 102 one by one. Since the cameria card 100 is fixed on the aperture card 102 but the 102 should not be immersed in the liquid developer or, the above mentioned roller conveying processing method is not applicable for processing such camera cards 100. In order to solve the problem, there has been used a spray processing method shown in FIG. 3B wherein a camera card 100 is tightly held between an upper lid 65 and a body 54 in a manner to mask the aperture card 102 with the body so that the liquid developer or fixer is sprayed from a nozzle 44 attached within the body 54 only onto the surface of the film 101. Since the developer or fixer in this method is jetted from the nozzle 44 via respective pipes 440 and 441, The film 101 is conveniently processed only on one side (sensitized face). However, this method is not completely free of defects as the air tends to mix with the liquid agent while it is being jetted from the nozzle 44 to oxidize it and deteriorate the processing capacity of the liquid agent. This increases the consumption of an agent and, moreover if the shape of the nozzle 44 is not suitable, the developer will not be sprayed evely onto the film 101 to cause uneven development. The procesing liquid tends to coagulate, thereby also clogging the nozzle 44.
FIG. 2A schematically shows a photographic film roll developing device using a straight processing method or an application of the aforementioned spray processing method to a photographic film roll. As shown in FIG. 2B which is a side view, a photographic film 1 is held between rollers 33A and 33B provided at an inlet and an outlet respectively, and is conveyed by rotating the rollers 33A and 33B along guides formed by a body 53 and an upper lid 63 which support both sides of the photographic film 1 so that the developer agent is jetted from a nozzle 43 mounted within the body 53 for developing the photographic film 1. Although the developer which is sprayed from the nozzle 43 is jetted advantageously only onto one surface of the photographic film 1 for development, the air tends to mix in the developer while the developer is being jetted from the nozzle to oxidize it and to deteriorate the processing capacity of the developer. It inconveniently increases the consumption of the agent and if the shape of the nozzle 43 is not suitable, the developer agent cannot be sprayed evenly onto the photographic film 1 to thereby cause uneven development. Further, the developer agent tends to coagulate in the nozzle 43 to clog it. Since the fixing device and the washing device have similar structures to the above and use the aforementioned straight processing method, the similar defects are observed in the fixing and washing as well. Defects similar to the above are also seen in the photographic film processing system which comprises the developing device, the fixing device and the washing device continuously connected and continuously processing.